The Stiff Gins

Album: Wind and Water
Performance: 1 June 2011 at Tone, Sydney
Website: stiffgins.net

Since I rediscovered the Stiff Gins last year (after first seeing them in 1999 at The National Folk Festival) I’ve been keenly following their rise in popularity, especially in the local Sydney music scene. While they’ve been playing all over the place in the last 12 months I’ve only managed to catch them a couple of times so I was thrilled when I got the chance to see them at one of Sydney’s newest venues, Tone.

The Stiff Gins were playing as part of a showcase of indigenous artists put on by Whichway NSW. The other acts of the bill, PJ Gordon, Ngaratya and Dan Stockley, each brought diverse musical styles to the night from country (Gordon) to roots-rock (Ngaratya) and folk (Stockley) and were a wonderful lead up to the headline act. The night itself had a really relaxed, community vibe to it, possibly because most of the audience was made up of friends and family of the performers – something that I think really added to the chilled out atmosphere.

When Nardi Simpson and Kaleena Briggs took to the stage with a drummer and bassist in tow I knew we were in for a treat. I’d previously only seen the Stiff Gins as an acoustic duo so getting the chance to catch them with a full band was definitely a plus. And as the set progressed I really felt the full band added an extra element to the Stiff Gins’ sound, leading me to comment that the performance reminded me very much of something by The Waifs.

Regardless of the fuller sound, it is the Stiff Gins’ gorgeous harmonies that I was there to see. The set did start with some sound issues – soft vocals followed by muddy vocals – but two or three songs in everything was sorted and the harmonies were allowed to shine. Simpson and Briggs have been singing together for so long now that their duets seem effortless, almost like they were born to sing together. Add to that Nardi Simpson’s mastery of the acoustic guitar and I would have to say I enjoyed every musical minute of the performance.

Another result of the Stiff Gins playing together for so long is the easy banter that comes between each song. It was probably helped by the community atmosphere in Tone that night (although they’ve been this way every time I’ve seen them) but watching Simpson and Briggs chat to and tease each other between songs felt like you were just hanging out with mates. There’s nothing manufactured or contrived about the Stiff Gins’ performance. From the “we feel cool by association” comment at the start of the set in reference to the other bands, to the genuine thank yous at the end this performance was definitely real.

Of all the songs performed by The Stiff Gins on the night my personal favourite would have to be “Beacon” written by Simpson as a tribute to her mother. Its soulful harmonies and beautiful sentiment really demonstrated everything that I love about these guys and why more people should be made aware of their music.

Finishing up without an encore (which surprised me, but the crowd didn’t call for it) I have to say that I was once again thoroughly impressed with The Stiff Gins. Having just released their album Wind & Water there are bound to be a bunch of shows for the girls in the near future – make sure you catch them and see what all the fuss is about.

Evan Hughes

For more of Evan Hughes’ music reviews, check out Timber and Steel